Steve Bannon accused Twitter CEO Elon Musk of lying on Saturday about his stance on free speech after the businessman said last week that he wants to "elevate citizen journalism."
Musk emerged as a popular figure on the right after he purchased the social media giant last year as conservatives have praised his stance on free speech. Despite a rocky tenure leading Twitter that has been marred in controversy, Musk says he has sought to increase free speech on the platform and has taken actions including reinstating former President Donald Trump's profile and supporting the Twitter Files, a reporting project that alleged that government officials pressured Twitter employees to influence the visibility of some stories.
During a keynote discussion at the MMA Possible Conference in Miami last week, Musk highlighted his efforts to "elevate citizen journalism" on the platform.
"I think it's very important to elevate citizen journalism. It's very important to hear the voice of the people. The actual voice of the people, not the filtered voice of people, and let the people choose the narrative, and let the people determine the truth and not five editors-in-chief of major publications," he said.
However, one prominent conservative figure voiced criticism about Musk's remarks. Steve Bannon, who formerly served as a strategist for Trump, took to the conservative social media platform Gettr to raise concerns about Musk's ties to China, accusing him of suppressing Beijing critics.
"Elon Musk is a stone cold liar," Bannon, who has been sharply critical of China, wrote. "His paymasters in Beijing have given him strict orders to suppress the leading 'SuperHawk' Anti-CCP Voices ...Elon Musk is a running dog for The [Chinese Communist Party] totally and completely compromised by their financial ownership of Tesla Shanghai..."
While it was unclear exactly what instance Bannon referred to, and which specific individuals he believes Musk has suppressed, he is not the first individual to raise concerns about Musk's ties to Beijing. Newsweek reached out to Musk's Tesla and SpaceX, and Bannon for comment via email.
Following Musk's Twitter takeover, some critics questioned whether Tesla's economic footprint in China would potentially leave him vulnerable to coercion from Beijing, as Tesla built a Gigafactory in Shanghai in 2018. Bannon has previously spoken out against Musk's economic connections to China, saying that the billionaire is "owned lock, stock, and barrel by the Chinese Communist Party."
What Has Elon Musk Said About China?
Facing criticisms of Beijing influence, Musk has offered a mixed record in his statements about China. In October 2022, he faced backlash after voicing support for increased Chinese control of Taiwan, an island off the coast of China that has claimed autonomy.
"My recommendation...would be to figure out a special administrative zone for Taiwan that is reasonably palatable, probably won't make everyone happy. And it's possible, and I think probably, in fact, that they could have an arrangement that's more lenient than Hong Kong," he told the Financial Times.
However, Beijing also called out Musk after he shared reports that the U.S. Department of Energy concluded, with low confidence, that the COVID-19 pandemic began from a lab leak in Wuhan, China. CNBC reported that Chinese-state run newspaper The Global Times issued a warning against Musk to not share these theories, which China has denied. The newspaper warned him that he could be "breaking the pot of China," according to CNBC.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
